How LRMG Is Bridging HR and IT for Talent Development South Africa
LRMG acquired Altron People Solutions and incorporated it into a new business unit called Impactful Specialist Solutions. In practice, this move was deliberate. Specifically, it was designed to align HR, IT and the skills and training required to consistently develop talent in a business. As a result, LRMG created a unique offering for talent development South Africa organisations genuinely need.
Digitisation is transforming how training and skills development is delivered. In addition, digital has become the bridging conversation between human resources (HR) and information technology (IT). Specifically, this bridge shapes how organisations approach talent management, lifelong learning and the user adoption of technology solutions. In practice, bridging these two critical areas was exactly what LRMG had in mind when it acquired Altron People Solutions (APS).
According to Ricky Robinson, founder and CEO at LRMG, the company launched in the late 1990s. Specifically, it started as a business providing talent acceleration systems and services. In addition, it helped clients achieve success by growing and developing talent within their organisations.
“We grew this division as this partnership thrived over a period of more than a decade, developing the relationship as they evolved from client to genuine business partner. This was because we became their go-to provider of course material, providing seamless delivery anywhere and at any time, also developing content that was futuristic in approach.”
Tuning Into the Market: How LRMG Developed 2 000 Learnerships Per Year
For LRMG, the focus always lay on helping clients assist their end-customers to do their jobs better. In practice, the partnership with the company that became APS was vital. As a result, LRMG consistently developed new content for new markets. Specifically, this included creating comprehensive learnership manuals that built real capability in learners across South Africa.
Madelise Grobler, an Executive at LRMG, notes that this work took the company to the next level. Specifically, it required developing assessments and assessment guides. In addition, all assessments had to align to the NQF and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) qualifications framework.
“Ultimately, we ended up delivering around 2 000 learnerships per year, mainly in the urban and peri-urban areas, and these were typically some form of IT technician, end-user or system support training, which enabled youths from around the country to access relevant skills and qualifications.”
Robinson notes that LRMG had already made significant inroads into the HR space. In practice, the company offered customers access to talent management and talent development solutions. As a result, when Altron chose to divest from APS, LRMG recognised the acquisition opportunity immediately.
“When Altron chose to divest from APS, we recognised that acquiring this business would allow us to deliver similar quality offerings into the IT arena. This has placed us in a position to bridge the gap between HR and IT in business - after all, both sectors require skills development, and demand learning and development through ongoing training."
“The acquisition of APS meant that we were able to add user adoption training - ensuring that a client’s employees understand how to utilise a new technology deployed at their organisation - to our existing talent management and learning solutions. Because of the impact we could see this combination having on our clients’ businesses, we chose to name the new business unit Impactful Specialist Solutions.”
An Ongoing Impact: Lifelong Learning and Talent Development in South Africa
Grobler adds: “The fact that we are experienced in the people side of the business, but also understand the IT landscape means we are positioned at the centre of a triangle composed of human capital, technology, and learning, and can thus ensure that the correct skills are delivered to the right people, at the most appropriate time.”
Robinson notes that companies need to invest in lifelong learning for their employees. In practice, this means helping people craft a learning path with the right skills and training. As a result, employees continuously grow their careers. Furthermore, organisations that do this well gain a significant competitive advantage.
“If you do this with the right intention, and over the long term, your business will not only obtain the benefit of bringing in new talent excited by the potential career paths, but will also help you to nurture, retain and grow your existing talent,” he says.
“Relevance is a key word for us, in that we aim to be relevant to our customers both today and well into the future. They in turn wish to be relevant to their clients and their people need to continuously look to acquire future-fit skills for their own relevance. It’s this virtuous circle with impact in the epicentre.”
Grobler agrees that what Impactful Specialist Solutions does goes far beyond supplying courses. In practice, the work starts with deeply understanding the customer. As a result, every solution is aligned to the client’s specific IT and HR strategy.
“For us, it is about understanding the customer, and then providing an aligned IT and HR strategy, one which delivers the necessary training to ensure the client is able to grow their business and take it to the next level.”
“We listen deeply to the market, using the knowledge gained to project where things are going, and then design relevant solutions accordingly. However, what enables us to have a genuine impact is that we don’t just sell clients the solution – our focus is end-to-end, including innovation, creation and design of the solution, as well as its proper integration into the client’s business, thereby affording them the greatest chance of success.”
To find out how LRMG and Impactful Specialist Solutions can help your organisation align HR, IT and talent development for lasting business performance, contact the team through our contact page.
Ricky Robinson
Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Madelise Grobler
Executive at LRMG
Frequently Asked Questions: HR, IT and Talent Development in South Africa
Why do HR and IT need to work together for talent development in South Africa?
HR and IT alignment is essential for effective talent development in South Africa because the tools organisations use to train, develop and retain people are almost entirely technology-enabled. In practice, HR leaders who do not understand IT cannot make effective decisions about which platforms, systems and learning solutions to invest in. Equally, IT leaders who do not understand people and capability cannot implement technology in a way that drives genuine adoption and behaviour change. As a result, organisations that bridge HR and IT consistently outperform those that keep the two functions separate.
What is user adoption training and why does it matter?
User adoption training ensures that employees understand how to use new technology that an organisation has deployed. In practice, many digital transformation investments fail not because the technology is wrong but because employees never learn to use it properly. As a result, organisations waste significant investment on systems that deliver a fraction of their potential value. User adoption training closes this gap by building real proficiency in employees, increasing return on technology investment and reducing the frustration that leads to disengagement.
What does Impactful Specialist Solutions do differently from a standard training provider?
Impactful Specialist Solutions bridges HR and IT in a way that standard training providers do not. In practice, this means understanding both the people side of the business and the technology side simultaneously. As a result, Impactful Specialist Solutions delivers aligned IT and HR strategies rather than isolated training programmes. Specifically, the focus is end-to-end, covering the innovation, creation and design of solutions as well as their proper integration into the client’s business to give organisations the greatest chance of lasting success.
How does LRMG support lifelong learning for organisations in South Africa?
LRMG supports lifelong learning through a combination of talent development, talent technology and talent advisory solutions. In practice, this means helping organisations build structured learning paths that develop employees continuously rather than through periodic training events. Specifically, LRMG helps clients align their people strategy to their technology strategy, ensuring that skills development keeps pace with the rapid changes in the business environment. As a result, organisations retain talent more effectively and build workforces that remain competitive over time.
How can organisations get started with LRMG's talent development solutions in South Africa?
Organisations can get started by contacting the LRMG team to discuss their specific HR, IT and talent development challenges. In practice, LRMG begins every engagement with a deep understanding of the client’s context, strategy and capability gaps. As a result, every solution is tailored to the organisation’s specific needs rather than delivered as a generic programme. To start the conversation, contact LRMG through our contact page.
